THE STORY – In a fairy-tale kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira battles to compete with her incredibly beautiful stepsister, and she will go to any length to catch the prince’s eye.
THE CAST – Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli, Isac Calmroth & Malte Gårdinger
THE TEAM – Emilie Blichfeldt (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 88 Minutes
It’s safe to say “The Ugly Stepsister” is not your mama’s fairytale. We’re all familiar with the sweet and magical rags-to-riches “Cinderella” story that’s been Disney-fied time and time again. Still, Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt is here to turn the story on its gruesome head with her feature directorial debut. Her retelling of the classic fable instead focuses on one of the ugly stepsisters who will do anything to get her happily ever after, even if it’s painful to do so (beauty is pain is a constant motto throughout the film). The end result will undoubtedly draw many comparisons to “The Substance,” as this film similarly does not skimp out on horrific visuals and shows the relatable pressures women often place upon themselves to look perfect, but that’s good company to be in.
It’s clear from the start that this fable is anything but a fairytale when Elvira (Lea Myren), her quiet sister Alma (Flo Fagerli), and money-hungry widowed mother Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp) are off to meet their new family members. Elvira, with her braces and rounder physique, is the ugly duckling of this family, while her new stepsister Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) radiates beauty with her long blonde hair and poofy blue dress. It seems as though they’ll have a good relationship, but when Agnes’ father drops dead in hilarious fashion one day, and Rebekka realizes he has no money, tensions arise in this family.
When a ball is announced for Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth), all the young maidens in town hope to impress him so they can be his wife. With few prospects available to them, Elvira makes it her mission to marry the prince no matter what. Thus, we’re thrust into the truly horrific moments of the film, which include yanking off her braces, resetting her nose with a hammer, and undergoing a nausea-inducing eyelash surgery. Cinematographer Marcel Zyskind gets up close and personal with a lot of these moments, especially the unflinching eyelash sequence, to the point that you want to cover your eyes and hide but also can’t look away. Myren’s all-too-convincing screams and terror make the scenes even more brutal to watch. But the most relatable moment of this body-horror film comes when Elvira looks at her naked self with such disappointment, judging every bit of fat around her stomach. Too many of us have been in that same position, so when Elvira opts to swallow a tapeworm to help her lose weight, it’s the least surprising bit to see.
Of course, not everything goes according to plan. While she’s putting in so much hard work, everything seems to come so naturally for Agnes, whether wearing clothes that fit her body perfectly or impressing their choreography teacher as they prepare for the ball. But what’s fascinating about this version of Cinderella is that Agnes has quite a bit of spunk, yet another example of Blichfeldt making this well-known story fresh. Agnes is not afraid to snap back at her evil family members or pursue her sexual desires, as she has a relationship with a young, stable boy. While we may not explore the inner workings of Agnes in this retelling, Næss is enchanting to watch anytime she’s on screen. When she has her “fairy godmother moment,” with silkworms helping repair her dress, we’re eager to see how she transforms into a princess.
Even as the film moves into familiar territory with the ball, Blichfeldt continues to inject flair into it. Elvira’s tapeworm, which is starving her of all nutrients, makes itself loud and clear at the dance, threatening her big moment to seduce her prince (who we find out is anything but charming). When Cinderella runs away at the stroke of midnight, the film turns into a full-blown nightmare as Elvira continues to do horrific things to her body, particularly to fit into the iconic slipper. It might be hitting the nail on the head one too many times, but the gore and impressive prosthetics continue to make it all engrossing to watch. By the end, our beauty queen Elvira might as well look a bit like Sue right before she’s set to take the stage at her New Year’s Eve show, and it’s both so funny and disheartening to see how she’s had to physically alter her body and soul to get to this stage. The only person who shows her any type of kindness or tries to talk some sense into her is her sister. It’s a shame Alma is sidelined so much in this film, but at least there’s a sweet conclusion to their story.
“The Ugly Stepsister” joins an impressive lineup of body-horror films that show the endless struggle women face to reach perfection. Unfortunately, we’ll never reach it, and it’s never worth doing just to get some guy’s attention, as Elvira sadly finds out. But if we can surround ourselves with the Almas of the world, hopefully, we’ll all learn that true beauty lies within us.
